With just about a week left in the month, this is usually when I start gently gathering things for my roundup. I am not doing anything complicated. I just slow down for a few minutes and start paying attention. That small bit of prep makes the actual documenting feel so much smoother when I sit down to do it.

As the end of the month gets closer (just a week left!), I always like to take a quick pause and do a little prep for my roundup. Nothing fancy. Just a few small steps that make the actual documenting feel easier and more enjoyable when the time comes.

If you have ever sat down to do a roundup and felt like your mind went blank, this post is for you. A little bit of noticing now can save you a lot of frustration later.

I love doing layouts that document one month at a time because I don't have to follow a certain theme. I don't even worry about whether all my photos and cards match perfectly because I'm more interested in telling the stories of our lives for that time frame. It's a very fun way to do memory-keeping! We worked and played really hard in September! I’m so happy to capture our memories for the month.

I love doing layouts that roundup one month at a time because I don't feel like I have to follow a certain theme. I don't even worry about whether all my photos and cards match perfectly because I'm more interested in telling the stories of our life for that period of time. It's a very fun way to do memory-keeping! August was a very full month for us, with lots of travel and family time. I feel blessed to have such a month!

Do you remember writing essays about what you did over the summer as a kid? I never had much to say in those reports, but I have plenty to fill the page these days. It's been a busy summer for our family, and I'm happy we have had so many great adventures to make the summer of 2023 memorable.

We were on the go the entire month of July! We had several road trips and spent several weeks with our daughter and her family. It was great to have so much grandbaby time! I love documenting everyday life, and the roundup process has given me the tools to keep it simple and meaningful. I've been doing monthly roundups since January 2006 and don't plan to quit now!

Hey there! I'm back from an unintended blog break. I had an explosion of life events all hit simultaneously, and it has been a crazy few months. It's all good stuff, but it has completely taken my mental and physical bandwidth to keep up with everything, so this blog had to take a backseat. I've been blogging since 2005 (18 years!), and I know this is just part of a writer's life cycle.

June had a bit of everything in it. We started it off with Covid and ended with amazing mountain views. Our getaway to Jackson Hole was a lot of fun. And of course, it was wonderful to have time with family and see our cute grandson! I love to tell the stories of our everyday lives, and my roundup prompts help me to remember to include the details that matter. So I hope you will take a few moments to reflect on June and pair your thoughts with photos to create something special!

May was a wild month for us with some big happenings. We celebrated Mother's Day. We visited my brother Mike and his family in Nevada. We suddenly bought a new RZR as well as a new cabin. Jeff and I came down with Covid. Highs and lows and plenty of in-between times too. All part of our story.